


1320 Years

by AlexaAffect



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Adam Milligan Needs a Hug, Adam Milligan is Not Forgotten, Adam Milligan is Saved, Adam Milligan is a Winchester, Background Sam Winchester, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt Adam Milligan, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Torture, Like he doesn't even talk., Past Torture, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Dean Winchester, but not graphic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-16
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:34:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27048784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexaAffect/pseuds/AlexaAffect
Summary: Adam remembered Dean’s promise. That he’d come back and help him, that they were family and he wouldn’t be abandoned. He wondered now if that’s what had happened. That his brothers had stayed true to their word and saved him.Or alternatively; Adam escapes hell, reminisces about his time there, and finds it difficult to believe he's not still in the cage.
Relationships: Adam Milligan & Dean Winchester
Kudos: 50





	1320 Years

The night sky was a familiar comfort after everything that had happened. A reminder that everything lost, maybe wasn’t lost at all. Adam stared into the night, trying to find some sort of resemblance to the one he knew. He bathed in the light of the crescent moon and the thousands of stars. Orion’s belt rested, if Adam could recall correctly, over the tall arch guarding the driveway. Lawrence Cemetery. He didn’t remember getting back here, standing in the cemetery where Michael had brought him so long ago.

He may have been possessed, but Adam remembered every detail of that day. A bright sky with no clouds and the pain of the bomb that Castiel had thrown at him... Adam thought back to himself, how he naively imagined that Castiel’s Molotav would be the worst pain he’d ever suffer through; a pain even worse than being eaten alive, or perhaps it was just the fresher memory. 

Adam remembered Dean’s promise. That he’d come back and help him, that they were family and he wouldn’t be abandoned. He wondered now if that’s what had happened. That his brothers had stayed true to their word and saved him. 

He wanted to look around, instincts telling him to familiarize himself with his surroundings. But Adam couldn’t tear his eyes away from the sky. It looked different; it looked real. 

But deep down somewhere, he knew this couldn’t possibly be real. It never was.   
Lucifer had shown great experience when it came to torture. He had done anything to keep himself busy until he would get bored. But before that he’d have Adam screaming in pain. Then he went and sulked somewhere else until he had conjured up a better idea for inflicting hurt.

For the first few years it had been close to bearable. Sure he would hurt Adam every now and then, but mostly, Lucifer focused on Sam.

Sam had tried to protect Adam when they first got down there. But he gave up once he realized his efforts were in vain. Still he had served as a distraction for Lucifer and suddenly Adam was left to his own defense. 

Lucifer and Michael would constantly fight, the 2 half-siblings getting caught in the crossfire. Lucifer would go to whoever was closer to take his anger out.  
Then Sam disappeared. “Got saved!” As Lucifer had yelled. And Adam was left alone with 2 pissed off archangels.

Lucifer took out all his anger from losing Sam on Adam. All the while Michael had been frowning down at him, saying what a disgrace Lucifer was. Which only infuriated Lucifer more.

Then one day Michael cracked. But he was different from Lucifer. More powerful. He was strategic; his torture was well thought out.

The first time Adam thought he was out, he woke up in the cemetery as well. It had been early in the day and he wandered for hours until a driver had given him a lift to the nearest motel. He had collapsed on the bed with a bright grin.

Then he woke up. And Adam was lying in hell sobbing. Michael was leaning over him with a smirk, his hand gently stroking his cheek before Adam was sent into a spiral of horrible memories.

It didn’t stop there. He had “escaped” hell a total of 73 times. Some of those times lasted as long as a year. Just enough that Adam believed it could be real.

“Adam.” The almost painful call comes from behind him. Now he does have to turn around, he’s forced to drag his eyes away from the beautiful yet fake stars. Adam has to face his brothers once more.

He slowly turns. Sam and Dean. He stares at them and they stare right back at him. No one knows what to say.

Eventually Dean takes the first few steps before wrapping his arms around Adam and pulling him into a tight hug. “I am so sorry,” Dean whispers into his ear. Adam doesn’t budge.

Dean’s hug feels strange. He’s holding Adam uncomfortably tight and his jacket itches against his arm. He can feel Dean’s hands gripping the back of his shirt and he wishes that it would all just stop. It feels too real. But it always does, doesn’t it?

“You can bring me back now,” Adam states in a steady neutral voice, devoid of emotion. It hurts less if he doesn’t buy into the fantasy. This isn’t the first time Dean has apologized to him. And he doubts it’ll be the last time. 

Dean pulls away at the harsh tone to stare at Adam from an arm’s length away. His hands still resting on his shoulders. This time Dean actually takes a good look at Adam.  
His frame is skinnier than before. Cuts litter his arms and a deep one rests above his eye. Dark circles line them. But the most terrifying thing is his eyes. They’re filled with pain. Pain that Dean should’ve been able to prevent. Tears slowly begin to line Dean’s eyes. 

“I mean the sky and everything is getting better. Way more realistic than last time. But the great Dean Winchester crying over me?” Adam lets out a bitter laugh. “Now you’ve just outdone yourself.” Tears are gathering in his eyes as well. If this had been real he would at least have tried to conceal them.

“Adam,” Dean repeats in a steady voice. His hands grasp his shoulders more tightly. “This is real.”

“Yeah well that’s what you said the last 50 times...” Adam trails off with a sad expression. This time a tear does slide down his face. Dean immediately embraces him again.

After a few seconds his hand trails down from Adam’s back to his forearm. Dean grips it tightly and digs his fingers into a particularly deep cut. Adam immediately flinches away but Dean doesn’t let him go.

“Can you feel that?” He asks Adam quietly. “That’s real.” His words seem to unleash an effect on Adam.

He slumps forwards into Dean’s arms, the exhaustion from everything that’s happened finally seeming to dawn on him.

“This is real?” Adam asks in a puzzled tone. This time his arms reciprocate the hug, wrapping themselves tightly around Dean, trying desperately to ground himself.

“Yes.” Dean breathes out a sigh of relief. “You’re okay. You got out. It’s over now.”  
A broken sob escapes Adam’s throat as he collapses against Dean. Sensing his sudden exhaustion, Dean sinks to the floor with Adam.

He runs his hand through Adam’s hair with a heartbroken smile. “You’re okay now.”


End file.
